Annual Program Planning

TRAINING TOPIC ANNUAL PROGRAM PLANNING

“A common element of strong units is they all have a good annual program planned a year in advance (and it is) shared with all families in the form of a calendar.” BSA Annual Program Planning Conference Guide, 2012

One thing that has not changed with the Cub Scout Adventure Program, is the need to hold an Annual Program Planning Conference for your Pack. The results will be different because of the Adventure Program but the need to do it remains unchanged. The first thing – Do Your Homework – A month or two before the scheduled face-to-face conference, the Committee Chair and Cubmaster gather the following information:  Key school dates  Community event dates  Your chartered organization's dates  Personal dates that may affect your pack's activities such as the Cubmaster's anniversary cruise, the Chair's birthday  Dates of District and Council events  Collected Family Talent Survey sheets from all parents  Last year's pack annual plan if you have one

They, also, get (or consider) the following:

 How can STEM activities be worked into this year's plan. For ideas you can go to Bryan's Blog on STEM and Annual Plan at http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2014/08/27/remember-stem-craft-units-annual- program-plan/  Download the video on the Pack's Annual Program Planning Conference from http://www.scouting.org/filestore/membership/zip/BSA_Pack_Annual_Program_Planning_Conference_Guide.z ip They should review it and study it to make sure they are ready for the big day/night/event. You can use this power point ( or to be fancy - electronic program planning conference guide) to add some color to the Annual Program Planning Conference process. This narrated PowerPoint presentation, takes will take your pack leaders step-by-step through the planning process

 Review and establish JTE Goals for the Pack. Determine what activities are needed to have the Pack do better than this year. Anticipate changes to the JTE requirements for the next calendar year.

The JTE is a year round program of leading indicators to help you plot your course to a successful program (I hate it when my Cub Scout writing sounds like I am at work but it is true. And it is a GREAT tool!! CD) If you have not set up to monitor your progress on the dashboard go to the spreadsheet on National's website and you will get a great picture of your status. You fill in page 1 by answering questions and it completes your JTE form on page 2 (Kind of like when I do my income tax on Turbo Tax CD) Page 3 is a Unit Budget form, be sure to use that, also. The spreadsheet is at: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/JourneyToExcellence.aspx

 They should obtain the Boys' Life Annual program Planning materials. Some councils supply these, some do not. They are available directly from national at Things to order – http://www.scouting.org/filestore/magazine/pdf/331-057_LR.pdf Important Material available here include – CS Leader Program Notebook (No. 331-014 $1.00) The pocket-sized 4-inch x 6-inch 2015–2016 BOYS’ LIFE Cub Scout Leader Program Notebook is designed for Cubmasters and den leaders but is useful for all Cub Scout leaders. Its 100 pages include a guide to effective Cub Scout program planning; individual pages for each monthly core value; the pack’s annual PROGRAM PLANNING STEPS; 12 monthly calendars to write in important notes; full-page, fill-in-theblank outlines for each weekly den meeting; planning outlines for the monthly pack leaders’ meeting; the monthly pack meeting; requirements for the National Den Award; and a description of Journey to Excellence. The Cub Scout Leader Program Notebook is a valuable aid for all Cub Scout leaders. You can download the file at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/magazine/pdf/331-014.pdf BUT it is well worth the $1.50 to get the booklet as intended as a pocket notebook!!!

Pack Program Planning Chart (No. 331-017 75¢) The poster-sized 17-inch x 22-inch BOYS’ LIFE Pack Program Planning Chart (English and Spanish) helps Cub Scout leaders plan the pack’s 2015–2016 annual program. The chart provides information for each month’s recommended Cub Scout core value and Webelos/Arrow of Light activity badges. Space is provided to write in den-home projects, pack program planning dates and special projects, Webelos activities, and dates for monthly meetings (roundtable, pack leader, den chief, and pack). Experienced pack leaders use the Pack Program Planning Chart to effectively plan the pack’s annual program. You can, also, download this chart at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/magazine/pdf/331-017_bilingual.pdf . But you really need at least 17X22 paper. Poster sizes will work even better if you have a source.

2015–2016 BOYS’ LIFE Council Planning Calendar (No. 331-011 $1.50) - The popular BOYS’ LIFE Council Planning Calendar measures 8.5 inches x 11 inches. The fill-in-the-box calendar dates begin September 2015 and extend through December 2016. Additional calendar dates noting selected holidays and religious dates run through December 2020! Planning ahead? This is your calendar. You can, aslo, download this calendar at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/magazine/pdf/331- 011.pdf AND it all comes with Pedro's Seal of Approval!! Second – Plan for success by selecting the right people to attend and picking the best possible date.

Inviting all the following:  All pack committee members  All den leaders and assistants  All pack/den aids and den chiefs (optional)  Chartered organization representative  Your unit commissioner (optional)  Anyone else you think might be helpful, (e.g. selected parents). Selecting a date for the conference. See when you can have the most people attend. My pack used to do a picnic. The leaders would meet and the parents not in the conference would watch the boys at a pool, or in a park. We could get the local troop to help, too. The more people, the better the result. The less people to complain about what was chosen and what was not chosen.

This is a Unit specific decision.

Sending out your invites early. This should help people keep from booking a date they told you they were available. Make the invite official. Have them know they are part of one of the most important Pack Events of the year.

Prepping your unit calendar with fixed dates – Just take the dates you collected and put them into your pack's master calendar—including den meeting dates, Roundtables, District Cuborees, Webelos Overnights, Your Pack and Committee Meeting nights, Town Celebrations in which you participate, Scouting for Food, everything you have uncovered while doing your homework. The date of Easter varies from year to year and we used to miss that one in our planning – so please make sure you look it up.

This can be done either on a hard copy or by plugging the information into an electronic calendar on a computer. Third – Hold your meeting  Let the power point you down loaded drive the agenda. Or copy it, and go through the steps manually.

 Or, Use the agenda on National's site for a Pack Annual Program Planning Conference. - http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Leaders/ProgramPlanning.aspx

 Or, Follow the agenda in the Circle Ten Council article (that follows this one) on Annual Pack Planning Conferences.

 Or write your own using parts from all the above and your experience. Fourth – Tell everyone  A research project done by Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, Indiana, showed that 1 of the 3 common elements of strong packs is (I will share the other two common elements in a bit. You try and guess them, please.):

They all have a good annual pack program planned a year in advance that is then shared with all families in the form of a calendar.

The important result of a shared annual program calendar is that your pack will attract more families, and Cub Scouts will stay for a long time.

 Get it in your newsletter. Don’t have a newsletter?? START ONE, NOW!!! BSA has a template available at http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Leaders/newslettertemplate.aspx

 Create a poster. Don’t know what to put on a poster. Try this sample from BSA –

This poster is found at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-045_tab_WB.pdf Fifth – Monitor Implantation and Update the Plan as needed Annual program planning is an ongoing process. Review the plan each month at your pack leaders' meeting to make sure you are still on track, to recruit chairs and other help, you participate in important meetings, or to make assignments or changes as needed. Quarterly, do a three month look ahead to make sure all your great events will happen!! Oh, those other two common elements of successful Packs???  Training  Having the right person in the position (Not just picking the first warm body)